Kaitlin P. McCreery, Ph.D.

When Isaac Newton was 23, he wrote down his observation that apples fall. Sure, he’s right — objects don’t start moving unless there is a force acting on them. But was this brilliant, or was he just stating the obvious?

I stay on top of the latest science, always looking for breaking discoveries or methods devised by other scientists both in and outside my field. Sometimes, I feel so excited by the science that I even have an experience reading someone else’s work. Their findings are unexpected but make perfect sense. Their story is clearly articulated, even entertaining. The images or data visualizations are beautiful and brilliant. In those moments, I’m in awe at how the scientist can think like that. I’m humbled.

Then I think, “That is so cool. How did they even come up with that?”

This thought can lead to some serious imposter syndrome that has the potential to hold you back, especially as a scientist. Sometimes, I think that some little idea is obvious, not necessarily innovative or unique.

But then I get back to my own work. And I come up with my little ideas, approaches, and I share my point of view. It doesn’t feel like anything spectacular, just my ordinary thoughts.

Every once in a while, I will talk to someone that I really vibe with on a science-y level. We exchange scientific ideas back and forth. And it feels great to reach a point in the conversation when I hear, “That’s brilliant.” Of course I disagree, there is nothing brilliant about it. It’s just another little idea I had.

Everyone’s ideas seem obvious to them. Maybe even Gauss or Feynman or Mendel even thought that what they were saying was obvious.

Perhaps this is the importance of consistent scientific discussion. Good ideas are built by conversation and collaborative synergy. What small contribution you have to the conversation may seem obvious to you, but only you can communicate it to develop it into something bigger. Write stuff down, even when it’s obvious.